Come, Let Us Return to the Lord

A Prophet Who Lived the Message

This morning I'm going to be talking about one of my favourite characters from the Old Testament: the prophet Hosea.

Just to give you a bit of background, we're looking at the passage from Hosea 6:1–7. Hosea lived in and spoke for God to the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the second half of the eighth century BC. Israel had broken the covenant they made with God and were worshipping foreign fertility gods, and God charged them with three specific failures. In chapter four, verse one, he said:

"There is no faithfulness, no love, and no acknowledgment of God in the land."

God also placed the blame for this squarely on Israel's leaders, both political and religious.

So Hosea was told to go and marry an unfaithful woman as a living illustration of what Israel was doing to God. The story of his wife and his children in chapters one to three is a really sad and depressing commentary on Israel's constant betrayal of the God who had rescued them from Egypt and made them a nation. The litany of sins and failures in the subsequent chapters could leave us quite discouraged, and the pronouncements of God's judgment are harsh and final.

A Plea Rooted in Hope

However, there is still hope. Throughout the book, God shows that he still loves Israel and will not give up on her. That's why in verses one to three of chapter six, Hosea pleads with the people:

"Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us. He has injured us, but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us. On the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord. Let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear. He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

Hosea quite rightly understands firsthand God's character. It was lived out in his relationship with his unfaithful wife. If at any stage his wayward wife had returned — as he urges Israel to do — and acknowledged her husband, as Hosea wants Israel to acknowledge the Lord, then he too would have received her, just as he says the Lord will do for Israel.

A Constant Theme Throughout Scripture

This call for people to return and acknowledge God is a constant theme throughout scripture. Several centuries later, John the Baptist came preaching the same thing: repentance — in other words, returning to God — and baptism, publicly acknowledging him. Jesus also preached repentance, and after his death and resurrection, his disciples called people to "repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."

And why did Hosea, John, Jesus, and his disciples all confidently and passionately call people to return to God? Because they all knew the outcome.

• Hosea confidently says, "He will heal us. He will bind up our wounds. He will restore us."
• In the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, it says, "Whoever believes" — that is, acknowledges God — "whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life."
• Peter quoted the prophet Joel when he said, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

God's nature is constant, unchanging, unwavering love that is always prepared to accept us back if we'll turn back to him — in other words, repent — and acknowledge him, give him the respect and the honour that he is due.

And the restoration that Hosea promised on the third day was literally fulfilled by Jesus through his death and resurrection, which paid the penalty for all sin for all time, making forgiveness and restoration available for all.

The Heartbreak of God

However, it's clear both from the rest of Hosea and from history that Israel didn't listen to Hosea's plea. What follows gives us another insight into the heart of God. You can hear his heart breaking when he says:

"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears."

Here's the heartbreak of a parent who has tried everything but to no avail — because their love was like the morning mist or the early dew, gone shortly after it appears. Israel had ignored God's discipline and just gave him lip service, empty sacrifice.

But God says through Hosea:

"I desire mercy, not sacrifice, an acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

Have you ever met someone who tells you what they think you want to hear? They're merely trying to placate you but still intend to do whatever they want. God could see right through their outward show of religion. He wasn't fooled. Their behaviour betrayed them. Their deeds exposed them. And they fooled themselves into thinking that their sins were secret, that nobody knew. But God saw. He knew, and he remembered.

More Than Words

The same is true for us today. God wants our genuine love and obedience, not just lip service or empty religion. He wants our love to be displayed 24/7, not just on Sundays, only to disappear like the morning mist on Monday morning. He sees through our pretence. Our lives are clear to him, and he grieves for us, aches for us, despairs for us as he watches us continue down paths that he knows are self-destructive.

So just as Hosea pleaded with his people: come, let us return to the Lord. Let him heal us and bind up our wounds and restore us. And let's demonstrate this with more than words — but in our actions.